This is a great time to do some goal setting with your students! Check out this amazing blog post by Carol Miller on setting SMART goals with your students! Grab you tennis balls and lets set some goals!

Read Aloud Ideas

Lexile: NA

When will I get There? How will I know? A little girl ponders what the future holds, steadfast in her determination to find out for herself.

Activity: I'd Like to Get There in 2016!

​Use the organizer below to determine student goals for 2016 and identify the steps that can be taken to accomplish the goal.

Lexile: 480AD1 Point​A wizard's hat blows into town, changing people into different animals.

Activity: If I Could Wave My Magic Wand in 2016

Have students journal about what they would like to happen in 2016 and include steps to make it happen. Add a construction paper wand with star at the top to make it hallways/bulletin board ready..

ONE Book To Read!

​FROM THE BACK COVER:Passion cannot be faked. Students can tell when we're just going through the motions. But how can you summon the energy to teach with passion when there are so many distractions pulling you from what really matters? And if you barely have time for taking care of yourself, how can you have anything left to give your students?

​Don't wait for teaching to become fun again: plan for it! Your enthusiasm will become unshakeable as you learn how to: ​

​Create curriculum "bright spots" that you can't wait to teach

Gain energy from kids instead of letting them drain you

Uncover real meaning and purpose for every single lesson

Incorporate playfulness and make strong connections with kids

​Stop letting test scores and evaluations define your success

Construct a self-running classroom that frees you to teach

Say "no" without guilt and make your "yes" really count

Establish healthy, balanced habits for bringing work home

Determine what matters most and let go of the rest

Innovate and adapt to make teaching an adventure

Unshakeable is a collection of inspiring mindset shifts and practical, teacher-tested ideas for getting more satisfaction from your job. It's an approach that guides you to find your inner drive and intrinsic motivation which no one can take away. Unshakeable will help you incorporate a love of life into your teaching, and a love of teaching into your life. Learn how to tap into what makes your work inherently rewarding and enjoy teaching every day...no matter what.

Find out more about Angela Watson before you by the book by looking at her social media:Twitter, Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, and Facebook

2 Star Wars Quotes

I couldn't resist the hype! So here we go...

This quote goes along well with the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model. Students are capable of gaining content knowledge and deepening their thinking skills when given the opportunity to solve open-ended problems. What are the keys to successful PBL? Edutopia has a 5 part video series that will help guide you.

Do your students have a fixed mindset or growth mindset? Telling our students that they need to have a growth mindset can backfire. It has been shown that a more scientific approach has a bigger impact. Students need to be shown how the brain can get stronger and smarter with new learning. This Khan Academy video is a great resource for introducing this concept.